“Son of Our Hearts”: Oleh’s Story
The Forgione family first met Oleh in 2016 as part of an international exchange program. The teenager from Ukraine was shy and kind, relying on … Read more
Transit Ban 2.0: New Biden Rule Would Limit Asylum Eligibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2022 Contact: Tim Young | tyoung@lirs.org Washington, D.C. – In preparation for the end of Title 42 asylum restrictions, the … Read more
President Biden Announces Plans to Issue New Asylum Ban
On January 5th, the Biden administration announced plans to issue a new rule reviving Trump-era asylum bans that would deny people at the southern border … Read more
LIRS Receives Foundational Gift from ELCA World Hunger for Baltimore-Based Programming
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is incredibly grateful to announce a generous $400,000 gift from ELCA World Hunger. Since LIRS’s founding in 1939, the … Read more
Biden Administration Doubles Down on Dangerous Asylum Blocking Policy, Announces Parole Program for Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2023 Contact: Erin Taylor | etaylor@lirs.org WASHINGTON D.C. – President Biden today announced a new plan to offer humanitarian parole to … Read more
Learning How to Be a Dad: Carlos’s Story
Carlos* was watching the news one evening when an image of a Syrian refugee boy who had drowned at sea filled the screen. As an … Read more
Raising Our Voices for Climate-Displaced People
By Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, LIRS President and CEO Last week, at the National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC), I joined with other advocates, organizers, policy researchers, … Read more
Afghan Adjustment Act Omitted from Senate Omnibus Budget Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2022 Contact: Tim Young | tyoung@lirs.org Washington, D.C. – The United States Senate today unveiled its omnibus spending bill, which omitted … Read more
The Circle of Welcome: A Cup of Tea
The following story was shared by Tessa K., a member of Grace Lutheran Church is Des Moines, WA. Grace Lutheran is a member of the … Read more